Where Tradition Begins

Coach Laycock recently completed his 28th season at the helm of Tribe Football and is the program’s winningest coach with a career record of 178-127-2. Starting in 1980, his coaching career at W&M has included 18 winning ledgers and postseason games in nine seasons.

To honor and build upon this proud tradition, W&M dedicated the new Jimmye Laycock Football Complex in the fall of 2007. This 30,000-square-foot building features a locker room, athletic training room and offices for coaches and administrative support personnel. Memorabilia from the long history and tradition of Tribe Football is displayed in the lobby and various areas throughout the building.

This facility also boasts the first installation of new GearBoss lockers from the Wenger Corporation. “We feel very fortunate to be a part of the new Jimmye Laycock Center,” says Gregg Nelson, senior market manager at Wenger responsible for the GearBoss product line. “We share a lot of pride in the future of this first-class program and facility.”

When Nelson met W&M equipment manager Jerry Fife in 2006, Wenger had been concepting locker designs for some time and was looking for a flagship installation. Fife introduced Wenger and the GearBoss locker concepts to Coach Laycock and the design team, whose input helped refine the design.

“We wanted lockers that were very functional and met our players’ needs,” recalls Laycock. “We also wanted to get people’s attention and make a statement about our first-class program. When our players come in that locker room I want them to feel good about themselves.”

One of the first things W&M players notice is their name in lights: each locker features a lighted name plate that can be easily personalized. The locker’s fold-out seat has W&M’s Tribe logo and the green and gold college logo adorns the front fan plate, part of the locker’s unique air-circulation system.

Keeping garments dry – critical for player comfort – is the most important step in the fight for a sanitary locker room. Lighted fans in the foot locker create a drying chamber for shoes, socks, gloves and undergarments. Lighted fans in the shoulder pad and helmet topper help dry these items between practices. Along with enhanced visibility, lights offer a visual cue of fan operation and provide an attractive appearance.

GearBoss lockers are constructed of a durable, easy-to-clean wood laminate incorporating antimicrobial nanosilver technology that is a permanently lethal surface for microorganisms including MRSA, staph, mold and mildew.

“Nowadays you can’t be too careful about the spread of germs,” remarks Laycock. “While we don’t anticipate any problems, having GearBoss lockers with antimicrobial surfaces is a great selling point. It makes our players and their parents feel much more comfortable that we’re aware of the issue and have taken that precaution.”

Nelson says all GearBoss lockers will be uniquely configured to a program’s specific needs and wish list. “Our product development and manufacturing expertise has created a forward design that offers almost unlimited flexibility.” More than 1,000 different possible configuration options exist for locker sizes, features and colors.

According to Laycock, the new locker room has already made an impact on both returning players and recruits. “Our players are excited about the opportunity and prospects for next year. Recruits are also impressed – many have commented that it’s the best they’ve seen.”